Bad Lands

Ando Sakura x Yamada Ryosuke

Nihon Eiga 107

Hashioka Neri, aka Neri (橋岡煉梨, ネリ) - Ando Sakura

Yashiro Jo, aka Joe (矢代穣, ジョー) - Yamada Ryosuke

A brief summary of the plot is that Neri and Joe lived in the lowest rung of society. They worked for Takajo* in a phone fraud ring. Takajo was the keeper of the potential marks and Neri was the leader of the ukeko (receivers) - the people who collect money from the victims but did not do the actual scamming. Joe just got out of prison and was introduced to work for Takajo by Neri. They came across a large sum of money and somehow got embroiled in an underworld war.

*I can’t find the pronunciation guide, so I think that’s how you say his name.]

(I don't have the actual magazine so I'm using movie stills they've released so far. Please let me know if you notice any errors.)

Sakura Ando, who played Neri in "Bad Lands", said, "I want Neri to be a main character who doesn’t leave much of an impression." It is rare for a heroine to have such an image in Japanese movies; giving off a dry coolness, Neri is at the center of the story where she is surrounded by those who want to trap her and those who will do anything to protect her, and these extreme feelings intermingle in a truly thrilling way. All of the characters with their own strong personalities left an impression on me, and the ensemble of the characters as a whole is wonderful because it is centered around a heroine who is a realist that is not a larger-than-life character that is usually found in [fiction].. With the help of the atmospheric setting of Osaka, the world of "lawless land" emerges, as the title "Bad Lands" suggests.

Speaking of "Bad Lands", the American film "Badlands" (1973) directed by Terrence Malick, which depicts a man and a woman's escape must have been on the director’s mind as well. Kansai's strong noir feel goes beyond typical Japanese cinema and reminds us of the emotionally restrained, adult oriented Western films. How did this worldview come about? We spoke with Sakura Ando and Ryosuke Yamada, who played siblings [in the movie].

-- First of all, I thought Neri's casual demeanor was great. Such heroines are rare in Japanese movies.

Ando: When I first read the script, I didn’t have an image of Neri as a strong protagonist, but someone who wasn’t memorable yet still left a whiff of her existence behind. Because she appeared among many impactful characters, it would be nice if I could play an unremarkable main character. When I first talked to the director, I told him my thoughts and he accepted it. After that, when I read the script, I really wanted to cherish the nuances of Neri’s words and her kindness that can be felt in little things.

-- Yamada-san re-teamed with Harada-san after “Moeyo Ken” (Baragaki: Unbroken Samurai). Joe seems like a grown-up version of Okita Souji in “Moeyo Ken”.

Yamada: I read how Director Harada [described the character] in an article after the film was finished [and thought], so that’s what it was (laughs). I decided before that if Harada-san called, I would be there. I think his set is something that can't be experienced these days. Although gradually, I’ve stopped being scolded, when I saw the director snappily say things that needed to be said to various people, leading to an intense set, I also felt tense.

*Apparently Director Harada has a reputation of being very stern and scary, but it sounds like it is not irrational yelling and more like someone who runs a tight ship?

Ando: It was my first time being part of the Harada team, and I heard that it was really scary, but when shooting started, I was shocked by how fun the Harada team was. It was very cheerful and light. It was flexible. When I read the script, I thought I had a script that was carefully crafted by the director.

Yamada: I think the reason the set was so cheerful this time was because of Ando-san. I think the trust the director had in Ando-san was amazing. I had never seen Director Harada directing with such a big smile (laughs).

Ando: When I said, "I'm scared to drive this Benz," he said, "Well, then Joe will drive." He would say on the spot things like, "Well, let's repeat this line" or "What you just did was interesting, let’s go with that".

Yamada: That's right. I think he's a director who really values the rawness of what happens on set. Harada-san himself is also enjoying what is born out of the set..

Ando: That's why when I was first approached by various departments, saying, "There are action scenes, this kind of scene, that kind of scene, and it is this kind of movie, what do you think?" But I told them, wait a minute, if you solidify all the details from the start like that, it could only become a movie you've seen before, and I also want to play Neri’s rawness more dynamically.. . For example, I felt that it was wrong for Neri to have sharp moves that are common in action movies. So when I got to the set, the director said, "It's okay, Neri doesn't need to do that kind of thing" (laughs).

Yamada: (laughs).

Ando: "Don't fight skillfully, just stay scared" (laughs). That's how he drew out the charm of the character that was born at that time. So it was a lot of fun. I felt the joy of acting with my whole body..

-- So you made use of rawness that was born on set. That's how the worldview of the movie was created.

Ando: That’s right. Another thing I remember well is that it snowed a lot during filming.

Yamada: It was during our shoot in Hikone in Shiga Prefecture. It was really amazing. When the director, Ando-san, and I left the hotel, I said "Wow!" without thinking. It was the heaviest snowfall in Hikone's history [since they started collecting the data]..

Ando: It was a heavy snowstorm with around 10 centimeters of accumulation, so it would be a shame not to make use of it in the movie. I said it would be nice to have a scene of Neri in the snow and the director said, "That's a good idea. Let's shoot!" This is it. (Showing a photo of the snow).

Yamada: Oh~.

Ando: Yama-chan, you couldn't go to the set, right?

Yamada: Yes. Our car couldn’t get there because of the heavy snow. I thought, “They are probably going to shoot in this snow! Wow!”

Ando: That's right, there was a cut with Neri in the snow.

Yamada: If it wasn't for Ando-san's words, the scene wouldn't have happened.

Ando: After we finished filming what was planned for that day, he said, "Okay, let's shoot this." The director and editor (Harada) Eugene-san assembled the scenes that were born out of this on the spot. Since my family also makes movies this way, I felt a sense of security. That’s how the Harada family feels like, and that’s how they do things. I think it's precisely because we have such a relationship of trust that he can say, "Let's go shoot this!" It was a good scene and I think that’s why this set is uniquely attractive.

Yamada: I think the fact that the director can say that right away is a testament to his trust in Ando-san. Also, as you mentioned earlier, the worldview that was born in the movie looked very natural, it was probably the worldview that the director was trying to create, for example, we were asked to overlap our lines.

Ando: Oh~ yes, we were going pon pon pon with the lines. It was that type of rhythm [we were going for] after all.

Yamada: I remember being told to go faster (when I said the lines) really well. People from Kansai speak at a fast pace and they tend to overlap, right? To be honest, I don't know what everyone was saying in the casino scene because they were all talking over each other (laughs).

Ando: (laughs).

Yamada: But I thought it felt real. I mean I don't bother to speak with pauses normally. Looking back now, I realize that the director was really looking for that sense of realism. That's why I think the reality of Kansai felt very alive and it formed the worldview [of the movie].

Ando: Yeah, yeah. When I first read the script, I thought there seemed to be many scenes commonly found in movies, but when we actually started shooting, each person worked hard to bring their characters to life in their scenes. The movie is set in the Nishinari area of Osaka and there are locals appearing in it as well.

Yamada: That's right.

Ando: I think that kind of thing was thorough. Also, there are a lot of charismatic veterans in this film.

Yamada: That's true.

Ando: It was a lot of fun working with those senpais and building up Neri from there. There's a scene where Mandala (Uzaki Ryudo) and I “go to battle” and I wanted to walk in a cool way, but Uzaki-san’s coolness was part of his essence.

-- It's the rock'n'roll aura, isn't it? Originally, he was part of the Downtown Boogie-Woogie Band.

Ando: Yes. It was amazing, I wondered how I could exceed such coolness, but I was like “ah~” at my lack of coolness (laughs).

Yamada: Not at all.

Ando: No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't do it.

-- Uzaki-san and Ando-san have a similar rock’n’roll vibe.

Ando: Oh, I'm happy to hear that.

Yamada: Yes, they’re really cool.

Ando: Namase (Katsuhisa)-san has an interesting way of adding nuances to the Kansai dialect.

Yamada: Ah~.

Ando: Namase-san said "Getsuyoubi no miko-san" as "Geccho hi no miko-san". I tried to imitate what he said. I think it's kind of nice that Takajo and Neri are naturally speaking in the same way. That's how I absorbed various things from the senpais and used them in my acting. Speaking of which, Yama-chan. Yama-chan was really amazing.

Yamada: Not really.

Ando: You know, it's different. It's really amazing for us to be able to work together. After I finished watching the movie, I said to the director, "Isn’t Yama-chan dangerously good?"

Yamada: No, I was not that good (laughs).

-- There is a scene where the two of you and Mandala did something violent to someone. It seemed that something surprising happened during the actual filming.

Yamada: That's right. It's the scene where the three of us are together.

Ando: In [the rehearsal] for the scene where we did something very violent, I had to make this person drink an alcohol called Spirytus*, but when I said, "Wow, I can’t do it," Yamada-kun said, "Well then, I'll do it."

*Per google, this Polish spirit is 76% alcohol. That will burn like crazy!

Yamada: That's right (laughs).

Ando: But when it came to the actual take, I gradually got on board and said “Yes, I'll do it” (laughs).

Yamada: In the end, Ando-san made him drink it (laughs). I was surprised when she suddenly did that during the actual take. I thought, “You’re really into it.”

Ando: (laughs).

Yamada: Because she will do something like that for the first time on set, the filming was really fun.

Ando: Another thing that was amazing was the scene with the hardcore dude.

Yamada: Haha. Hardcore.

Ando: We were taking down the hardcore dude. I talked about it a little bit earlier, but the fight choreography team came up with these cool actions. But taking into account Neri and Joe’s character, I wondered if “this cool action works”.

Yamada: Because it was the type of moves you see often in an action movie.

Ando: I thought the film suddenly became an action film, with cool action and all, but when I finally did it, it turned out to be pathetic action that looked like it was fluke.

Yamada: Have you seen such pathetic action scenes?

Ando: What pathetic moves are those? (laughs).

Yamada: Mandala and I were shouting threats and dragging a pipe chair, and I threw the bag that fell off it towards the enemy, but it hit Neri-nee (laughs).

Ando: Yes, yes (laughs).

Yamada: Isn't that kind of realistic? It’s like “Uh~, that happened”.

Ando: For that scene, the script had a note saying there was “bang bang” from the gunshots, but there was a problem with the prop gun we were using. So in the end, Uzaki-san, who played Mandala, just made the sound effect himself..

Yamada: He went "Bang bang" (laughs).

Ando: It was really cute. I think Mandala, Joe and Neri made the best trio.

Yamada: It was lame-cool, wasn't it?

-- It’s a set you want to keep working on, right?

Yamada: Really.

Ando: Yes. It really was.

Yamada: Yeah, it was fun.

-- Looking back on the shoot, please tell us what you’re thinking now.

Ando: When I was young, although it was rare, I had met characters who made me feel like they were showing rawness every second. It can’t help being fun to find things while filming. It’s like I was Mario going pepepepe~.

Yamada: You're invincible (laughs).

Ando: I don't know if I'm invincible (laughs). Mario had amazing jumping power in those times, but when I played Neri, I could jump twice as much as usual, and my body moved so much, it was super fun. I was really glad to be able to meet such a role on set in these days and ages. I felt joy!

Yamada: Of course, it was great playing Joe, but moreover, I was able to appear in Harada-san's and work with Ando-san playing the person closest to her, and that to me was the real treasure in my acting career. But above all, I was able to see Ando-san up close and personal, so I was the happiest ever.

-- I think that was reflected in the relationship between Neri and Joe. What can you say about this pair of siblings?

Ando & Yamada (looked at each other): Eh (laughs)?

Ando: I thought they were the strongest partners (laughs). Even though they were useless, they balanced each other out very well.

Yamada: That's right, In Joe’s mind, Neri was his favorite sister. He called himself a psychopath but he was able to love properly. He showed his feelings quite a bit, and when you read the movie’s pamphlet, you might think he was a cool guy, but...

Ando: He was not cool at all (laughs).

Yamada: He was a cheerful little brother (laughs). But if it was for his sister’s sake, he wouldn’t care about himself and he would get his hands dirty no matter how dangerous the situation was. In those scenes, the screws came off and well, he was crazy.

Ando: But on the other hand, a psychopath… I think Neri would think “that’s so not true”.

Yamada: That's right (laughs).

Ando: She thought he was just an idiot (laughs).

Yamada: True! People who think they are psychopaths are probably not psychopaths (laughs).

Ando: (Imitating Joe) Yes .

Yamada: Haahaha. Joe was just an idiot. A lovable guy.

Ando: That's why I was surprised by the cool Joe later in the movie; I was fascinated. That was really amazing.

Yamada: No, he was just an idiot (laughs).

Ryosuke Yamada: SIDE B - Change

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(There is some paraphrasing of the original article. Please let me know if there are any errors.)

Note: This is part 2 of a 2 part interview. You can read “Side A - Expression” here.

Yamada Ryosuke has been involved in various forms of expression, but there is one thing that he has cherished above all. That's the job of an actor. When he participated in his first drama “Tantei Gakuen Q” at the age of 13, he discovered the enjoyment and had been passionate [about acting] since then.

“I simply like this genre of work and this feeling of love has never changed since my first drama. With respect to acting, I have to become someone I haven’t seen or know before, and to do that, I have to think hard about who this person is and why he feels this way. However, the time [thinking about these things] is fun. The feeling is like when I just made a new friend and it is really nice to spend time with that person. I’d wonder about the kind of person he is, and the more I find out, the more interested I am. I think [the process of discovering a new character] is close to that. If this character is a historical figure, I can do research into the history and background of the person; if this character is fictional, I can make it up using my imagination.”

What comes to mind is a character in the movie "Moeyo Ken" released two years ago - Okita Souji, a genius swordsman of the Shinsengumi who is said to have died at the young age of 27. While there is a strong impression of him as someone with a tragic fate, but as played by Yamada san, who smiled innocently as he committed brutal murder without hesitation, his innocence was more intense than his fragility and was realistically portrayed.

“That movie was special. I think a big factor was that I was staying in Kyoto during the filming, so I was able to immerse myself in the real thing the whole time. When I went back to Tokyo, I was only doing group activities or recording variety shows, so there was little time to return to reality, and I felt that my sensibilities were gradually sharpened. I got so caught up in the role that it became normal for me not to drink or eat anything during that time, and I got sick... It was something I have never experienced on set before.”

The reason why he was so absorbed in his acting work was because he had tasted moments that shook him just by thinking about them.

“Just like with today’s shoot and when I was on set, there were moments when the actors, the camera operators, the lighting team, the audio team… and everyone involved were completely engaged as they worked together. It was the best feeling when I encountered these [moments] and I feel like I'm desperately trying to relive these moments again."

Because he valued his acting career, I wanted to ask him about his position as an idol. Perhaps because of this title, there are times when his acting is viewed with prejudice.

“I think it's more because I'm a Johnny's rather than being an idol, but I accept that as my destiny. There are hindrances with being a Johnny's, but on the other hand, there are things I can do because I'm a Johnny's and I think that's a huge benefit. If I don't want others to complain about me, I can only silence the discourse with my abilities. In fact, some of my senpais have done exactly that. On the contrary, it is only due to my own lack of ability that I can not do it. The idea is rather simple."

In the midst of such a conversation, he casually said, "Being an idol may be your vocation."

“Since I don’t know much about the world outside of [the entertainment industry], I won't be able to use [my skills] out there (laughs). However, since I've been an idol for a long time, I'm good at presenting what is needed [of me] in an instant. Although I also have a clear idea of what to do. However, what is asked of me is not always the same, so it is important to keep track of [the requests] and that is quite difficult. If I don't study how to present myself properly, I might not be able to do it. I've been conscious of that since I was small, so I'm good at it."

For example, during a live performance, your image is projected on the large screen at the venue.

“Basically, there are about 15 to 20 cameras installed at a live venue and the “switcher” decides when to cut one camera feed and switch to another. The other day, the switcher praised me, saying, "It's amazing that no matter what situation, no matter where the camera is faced, Yamada kun can find and look at it 100% of the time." I haven't been very conscious of this up till then, but if he said so, it must be true. Nowadays, cameras have a light that turns on when it is live, so the moment it lights up, I can find it in about a second no matter how large the venue. I want everyone at the venue to enjoy the show equally, whether they are sitting in the front row in the arena section or at the stands at the back of the dome. When [the camera] happens [to face me], I can interact through it so it can be seen by a lot of people, and I think that will be fair to everyone who has come [to the concert]. So when I think about that (including the technique), I feel that [being an idol] is my vocation."

However, he has been active since his early teens and there were times when he resisted being an idol.

“But it's work. It's amazing to know that there are people who are happy because of our hard work, right? I've thought about quitting several times in the past, but I still haven't quit, so I guess that's what I want to do after all."

He is the type who obsessively pursues things that he likes from the start. Gaming is something that exemplifies this. Among the games he’s enthusiastic about is "Apex Legends" and he reached the highest rank of Predator in February this year. Only the top 750 players in the world can attain the Predator rank. [T/N: Ignoring the 14+ hours of live streaming when he got the predator rank, he also just streamed for 9+ hours in the morning I wrote this part. Obsessive sounds apt.😅]

"Simply speaking, I find gaming fun. Especially when I’m playing with the pros, my motivation shoots up and I feel like I need to get better and I want to get better. After all, I want to do well. I want to be good at acting, I want to be good at dancing, and I want to be good at singing. Once I'm hooked, I want to taste and see the same thing all the time, so I keep doing the same things and that's not a problem. In my mind, rather than hard work, I feel like this is what happens when I pursue what I want to do.”

He started a gaming channel on YouTube called “Leo’s Playground” (Leoの游び場) two years ago, which is now a popular channel with about 860,000 subscribers. [T/N: I just checked and it’s now at 924,000 subscribers.]

“Regarding this, I am just really enjoying myself. I’m not conscious of being watched, it’s like I’m revealing my private life (laughs); it is really just a hobby. There are people who enjoy watching it, new fans are also increasing, and that’s a plus for both myself and the group, so I'm really grateful for this era. For me, I’m glad I can show my kouhai’s that there are other paths like this."

Yamada san said that since last year, there has been a big change in his approach to work. He used to think more about the group than anyone else and take the lead, but he said he's become more focused on himself.

“There was a time last year when I felt a little out of sorts. I cannot say more about that but after going through that, I thought I should take better care of myself.”

And at this time, he is turning 30.

“You may look at me like this (laughs), but isn't 30 years old a proper adult? It's the age when I have to look at myself and think about how to live. Up to now, I have been thinking about how to give back to the group through my solo activities. As a result, I have chosen not to do some jobs or things. But from this point on, I don't think I’ll make it too complicated and simply go “I’ll do it because I want to do it” or “I won’t do it because I don’t want to do it”. I think I should prioritize myself more. Of course I'll continue to do activities for the group and the fans, but it has always been a 70/30 split, where 30 were things I did for myself, so I'll try to reverse the ratio. I don't know if this choice will turn out to be good or bad, but I'm going to give it a try anyway." [T/N: About damn time.]

Yamada Ryosuke: Side A - Expression

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(Please let me know if there are any errors. Probably not my best work but I can't write properly lately.)

You can read the second part of the interview, "Side B - Change" here.

On May 9th, Yamada Ryosuke-san would celebrate his 30th birthday. To [make sure] the timing worked, the editorial department proposed to him: “Do you want to do a self-produced gravure [for us]?” while it was still [winter]. He replied with his acceptance really quickly and he first mentioned the phrases “expression” and “change” and some loose ideas of what he would like to do. We came up with the plan we have now starting with that conversation.

“I was fortunate to receive such a proposal for my 30th milestone birthday and I am very thankful for this. When I am thinking about what I want to show others about myself, “the form of an expressionist” comes to mind. In these times, only responding to what is demanded of us is no longer the correct attitude. Or should I say, aren’t we more free [to choose what we want to do]? When it is time to think about how to maximize [the expression] of “myself at this moment”, if I can work with a trusted team to do what I hoped to do, then I can become who I wanted to be.”

For the next part, the proposal for “Change” is to show the switch from “off” to “on”. Yamada-san is earnest towards work and is someone who is known for being professional. Therefore, we wanted to show him before he puts on his “work armour” and asked to shoot his bare face before applying makeup and costume.

“From my perspective, I’m wondering if people really want to see that? (laughs) Although it’s not unusual for people to see the natural [unprocessed] Yamada Ryosuke during the [process of] change, or rather, that is probably closer to who I am now.”

Singing, dancing , acting… of all the methods of expression, but a photoshoot is “what can express my current state.”

“Although I approach my work in the same way, whether it is video or print, I feel that my condition and state of mind on that day or time, whether good or bad, gets reflected in the work. Especially with photos, it is a snapshot of everything, right? It’s not enough to just have a great photographer, or just great outfits, or great make up, if these components do not work together, it is impossible to form a cohesive artwork. When all these components work, it feels good to participate in the shoot, yet more often than not, the components do not all come together. Sometimes it’s due to my or the staff’s mental or physical condition [on the day], and I am rather sensitive to such things. If it’s staff I’m familiar with, we can figure it out together, but it’s not a one-sided issue. However, with today’s photoshoot, everything fits very well, so it feels like no matter who and whatever we do, it’ll go well.”

For this part, Yamada-san suggested one keyword, “Pierrot”. [TN: It’s basically the clown archetype in pantomime.] The cover art expands on this image. Although he had worn pop-coloured outfits before, the style [this time], including the hair and makeup, was quite aggressive. It seemed like Yamada-san himself was also inspired by this and showed a lot of naughty expressions he rarely showed.

“Since I am going to do this anyway, isn’t it more fun to show [a side of me] that hasn't been shown before? As for the word “Pierrot”, I simply thought it’s an easy way to explain [the theme of expression], but… clowns can be laughed at, they can be cute at amusement parks, and if they are in a horror movie, they can be scary; there is a wide berth in [how they can appear], and I always find them as beings that are hard to understand. I also want to become a person who gives people different impressions depending on who sees me, as someone who can show a different face depending on where I am. That is my ideal. It would be nice if there were people who read the magazine and saw new possibilities in me, and I would also be happy if they simply thought I was cool. As an expressionist, it is necessary to continually show new faces. I want to keep exploring that.”

He is currently appearing as Nitta Togo in the drama, “Ousama ni Sasagu Kusuriyubi”. [Togo] is a scion who married a woman he doesn’t love in order to rebuild his struggling wedding hall business. This is his first shoujo manga adaptation.

“Hashimoto Kanna, who plays the lead role, and I can go back and forth at different tempos and it’s great working with her. I want you to see Kanna-chan’s brave visage properly. I thought I was past the age to appear in this type of romance drama, so please enjoy it. (Laughs)”

[To be continued in Side B: Change, which is probably the meat of the interview.]

Yamada Ryosuke: anan Trend Award issue

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Found this recently when I'm buying a different magazine. It was from November 2022, so I feel that a lot of people have seen the pictures already. The photoshoot, titled "The Beautiful Protagonist who Carries the Burden of the Era", was done as part of Yamada's Face of the Year award presented by anan. TThere's an interview that goes along with the photoshoot. If you really want to read it, I'll see if I have time to translate.

Yamada Ryosuke x Yoshine Kyoko

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(I paraphrased a little. Please let me know if there are any errors. They also did individual interviews but I'm to lazy to translate. Photos in the bottom.)

- This is the second time you have shared a screen together, but this time, you are playing “Azakawa* man” Maruya Kousuke and the “Robot woman” Sanada Izumi who was unmoved by his killer smile.

Yamada: Since it’s a love comedy, getting the right balance between us is the most important thing. Izumi didn’t have a lot of lines and was very hard to read in the first half, so Kousuke was very frustrated & kept asking (himself) “What’s wrong with her?” This mismatched feeling is a point to watch.

Yoshine: Of course we have to make each character memorable in their own way, but we also need to make sure the charms of each character play off each other to become even more than that. Recently, I acted by making an effort to anticipate how Yamada-san would react / feel.

Yamada: To what extent will she go to play the “robotic woman”? I could see how hard she worked [in those scenes] .

Yoshine: “What do you think?” I asked frequently.

Yamada: I said something like, “Ah, it’s annoying.” (laughs).

Yoshine: And I said something like, “Well, that’s OK then.” (laughs)

Yamada: We go back and forth like that.

*Azakawa = Azatoi + Kawaii, which basically refers to people, usually female, who use their cuteness to get their way (whether for good or evil).

- Then Kousuke realized his cuteness will expire soon, he kept hitting brick walls at work. When you hit a brick wall at work, what do you do?

Yamada: I don’t think much about walls. Although there are times when I thought “Wah!”, I am the type who does not think there are walls that cannot be torn down.

Yoshine: For me, it’s now!

Yamada: Eh?

Yoshine: This role. I’m trying to overcome it now.

Yamada: Oh, I see.

Yoshine: Up till now, I have acted in many “Believe in what’s inside me!” roles. But this time, I have to be more conscious of the “robot” feeling than I thought. So I feel like I’m hitting a roadblock when I have to hide the “think of myself as a weapon” kind of thought. I felt the difficulty even during the table read. But when I asked Yamada-san “is it OK”, he said “just act like you do right now and you’ll be OK”, and I thought “I’ll believe him and act”. Your words pushed me through the first day, so if it didn’t work, it’s all his fault. (laughs)

Yamada: Ha ha ha (laughs). It’s my job as the lead to take full responsibility.

- You feel the many charms and strengths of your partners, right?

Yamada: Yoshine san was able to fully immerse in [her role] even during the table read of “Kiokuya: Anata wo Wasurenai” last time. I think of a table read as the place where you work out the closeness and balance of your scene partners, so when I saw Yoshine san fully committing at that stage, it felt really shocking and thrilling. Also, although I’m shy, since we played childhood friends, I worked hard to try to shorten our distance…

Yoshine: Because I rejected [him] (laugh). I’m also shy, so I don’t know how to shorten the distance.

Yamada: Although I wasn’t able to do anything for Yoshine san, who had a lot tough scenes last time, I really felt “this person is a genius” with the way she was able to immerse in her role. Since it’s a love comedy this time, I am glad we can have fun.

Yoshine: Yamada san is very good at taking care of people. Not only that, I think he is very good at maintaining a balance, whether it’s last time or this time.

Yamada: I’ll take that. (laughs)

Yoshine: Last time when I was struggling, you kept a good distance between us. I am the type who likes to be alone when I am concentrating, so a lot of people try to be careful and stay away. However, Yamada san still had me in his sights despite us not talking. I thought he gave me a really great sense of security… (joking)

Yamada: Thank you. (laughs)

Yoshine: Since you had sown a lot of seeds to get close to me, so I didn’t feel shy. Although I already announced that “I am shy”.

- Kousuke’s rival has appeared, do you think you must have a rival?

Yamada: It’s probably good to have one. I think it’s nice to have someone who can give you a good challenge, this way you can work hard so you won’t lose to that person. I don’t think it’s a bad thing to have [a rival].

Yoshine: I also don’t think it’s a bad thing, but I’d rather make friends than have rivals. I’m sure there are many ways a rival can exist, but I want us to be able to go forward shoulder to shoulder. It’s definitely more fun this way, to work hard [together]. I really hate losing to myself more than anyone. If I don’t do my best now, I will probably regret it.

Yamada: I can feel that a lot when I see that.

Yoshine: It's stubbornness to hate to lose. It’s a really bad personality trait. (laughs)

Yamada: No, no. It’s a good thing and is necessary for this job. This time too, you’ll probably win against yourself in spite of the hardship.

- By the way, you’re playing salespeople this time. Sell this drama!

Yamada: Each episode is worth 10 million yen!

Yoshine: If you watch it, your skin will become healthy.

Yamada: It will, next day!... No, that’s not what they asked for! (laughs) But really, it’s a drama that will make you feel happy the next day.

Yoshine: There is not a single hateful character, so it’s really refreshing.

Yamada: For people who want to feel your heart beat faster, and for those who want to laugh, please watch.

Yamada Ryosuke x Arioka Daiki

anan 2300

I'm too lazy to translate, so I'm just sharing the photos and article. Totally different energy than YutoYama's cover. I guess if they're interest in the interview and I have time, I may get to it eventually.

BTW, they did this photoshoot for the promotion of FMA 2 & 3 and Shin Ultraman.

Yamada Ryosuke: “Daikaiju no Atoshimatsu*”

English Title: What to do with the Dead Kaiju

Cinema Square 131

(Rough translation only. Please let me know if there are any errors. I don’t want to get in trouble, so I’ll just put a couple of photos up for now. I’ll share the rest after the magazine is out for a while.)

 “[The film] is a large-scaled project driven by CG and tokusatsu**!”, said the director and writer, Miki Satoshi. It doesn’t follow the script of the normal tokusatsu films, but rather focuses on “how do you deal with the corpse of the dead kaiju”. The lead actor riding this curveball is Yamada Ryosuke, who was brilliant in “Moeyo Ken” etc. Will his role be that of a hero or an antihero***?

* Daikaiju no Atoshimatsu is literally translated as the clean up of the big monster, but the official English title appears to be “What to do with the Dead Kaiju”. I am using both the Japanese or English title interchangeably below.

** Tokusatsu is a genre of Japanese films/dramas that involve a lot of special effects, so kaiju films like Godzilla or hero films like Ultraman will fall under this genre.

*** I’m not 100% sure Datsu-Hero means an anti-hero.😅 If I go by the literal words, it means a departure from the “hero” character.

Shukan Asahi: Okada x Yamada Special Talk

Source: https://dot.asahi.com/amp/wa/2021100100014.html?__twitter_impression=true

(Rough translation - I paraphrased a little bit. Please let me know if anything is wrong. I also skipped the intro, which didn’t add much info.)

Okada-san played the “Demon Hijikata”. What kind of presence was Okita Souji?

Okada: Okita was very much a genius, so normal people could not understand what he was thinking. However, Hijikata and Okita acknowledged each other, so Okita did not feel scared when Hijikata got angry. Okita was played by Yamada-kun, so it was easy for me to do. He is reliable as an actor, so when the director told me “I am thinking about having Yamada-kun play Okita”, I thought that was great.

Where do you place the most trust in him?

Okada: Since I know the human body pretty well, he asked me “What is the best way to slim down?”, I said “Dehydration”, which was the toughest method (laughs). Then he actually did it, which I thought was impressive. He lost around 8kg of weight.

Yamada: I didn’t even know the word dehydration [at that time].

Okada: It is a method used by bodybuilders, first you take in a lot of water, then suddenly stop and the water will disappear from your body*. Since the blood becomes thick, it is not good [for the body]. In addition, Yamada-kun was not eating to [further] lose weight, so he did both methods…

[* In the Esse interview, Yamada said he stopped drinking water 3 days before the death scene. He also went to the sauna at the hotel, and as expected, he fell down. I know he is playing a dying character, but did he have to go that extreme?]

Yamada: You told me that potassium can also reduce the water in the body, so I took it as well. I did all the things I learned. However, it was really like hell.

Okada: You only ate chocolate?

Yamada: Almonds.

Okada: Ah, I did say nuts are good. You were rolling your tongue and eating little by little like a squirrel.

Yamada: One time, at around 3am, I had excruciating pains in my stomach, so I went to the hospital. They didn’t find anything wrong but I guess that was the price to pay. But I felt good about that too. It was like the character was starting to come alive.

Okada: Normally, if you don’t eat, you start to feel heartsick and lose your will. However, even though Yamada-kun had such a hard shooting schedule, you never lost the will to play the role and I thought you endured a lot. Although we meant to shoot the scenes where you were the thinnest at the end, the schedule [didn’t allow for it].

Yamada: When I filmed the scene just before my death, I also had to film [another scene] where I was healthy on the same day. I wanted my face to look fuller, so I ate a lot. I was trying to gain back the 8kg I lost within 1 week, so I ate about 5-6kg of rice every day. Although my body felt very heavy, I enjoyed [the experience]. I don’t hate being forced into a corner.

Okada: When you were rail thin, you never said a single thing in frustration…

Yamada: I couldn’t possibly show that sort of thing at the place where Okada-san was the center (laughs)! But I never thought about saying stuff like “This bastard”. I thought I would just grin and bear it.

Okada: There’s not much more I can say about Yamada-kun’s skill as an actor. The one thing I would add is that his earnestness towards the role was very amazing. That’s his personality & character.

Other than the body, what advice did you get from Okada-san?

Yamada: I was watching Okada-san to a somewhat disturbing extent. I was really trying to learn about each thing. For example, Okada-san can peek at the camera lens and know the angle of view. Isn’t that weird? (laughs)

Okada: I did ask you, like “Do you know the angle of view?”

Yamada: I was like “Angle of view?!” I thought I didn’t study enough. You told me everything you thought I would not understand and I am very grateful for that.

Yamada-san, what is Okada-san to you?

Yamada: He’s absolutely larger than life. I worship him not as a senpai. Although I’m the type who thinks that I can do whatever others can do because they’re also human like me, I cannot copy Okada-san. Like after he finished filming, he would just sleep a little and head to the gym*; although it sounds kinda bad, he’s like a monster. Really (laughs).I wonder if I will ever reach this level even after many years.

[* He just told the story on Ariyoshi x Monster - They finished filming at 2am & had to reconvene at 5:30am. In 3.5 hours, Okada managed to sleep and go to the gym and that’s why Yamada thought he was inhuman.]

What was the atmosphere on the film set?

Okada: It was an old world where angry roars were flying around. I think it was probably different from what Yamada-kun experienced before..

Yamada: If the young people of today were to jump into this, they may lose heart. You need to really hate to lose and really be motivated to live in this world.

[T/N: I’m a bit confused as to whether they’re talking about the actual film set or the Shinsengumi times. I guess maybe the Shinsengumi atmosphere bled into the set? Sounds a bit horrifying but it is a testosterone filled film. 😅] 

How would you link the unity of Shinsengumi to your “Group Bond”?

Okada: If you bring in the really strict rules that Shinsengumi implemented to the group, like whoever broke the rules would have to commit seppuku*, it will collapse.

[* Seppuku is the act of ritual suicide where the person cut across the stomach with a sword. For Shinsengumi, people could be executed by beheading or allowed to commit seppuku. Basically seppuku is the honorable way to die.]

Yamada: You’re not wrong (laughs).

Okada: Shinsengumi was a strong and unusual group. It only lasted 6 years, that’s why it was beautiful and powerful. For those of us in V6, we are made up of gentle people who all wanted to do this together for a long time rather than aim to be the bright light. How long has Hey!Say!JUMP been around?

Yamada: Next year will be our 15th anniversary.

Okada: From now on, I think it will be interesting for Hey!Say!JUMP, King & Prince, SixTONES, and Snow Man. You’re going to fight for the national idol throne. We were wondering and looking forward to find out “Who will take it!”

Yamada: We are race horses (laughs).

Okada: That’s right. These 4 groups know what their situation is like, and I think you have discussed this amongst your groups. Although it is tough, it is probably fun to be creative. What is JUMP doing?

Yamada: Recently, we are starting to find our niche individually. However, I think our rule is to try and bring something from those places back to JUMP. For example, I’m a part of “Moeyo Ken”, so people may say “Yamada Ryosuke, who played Okita Souji, is part of the group called ‘Hey!Say!JUMP’”, and that brings the topic back to the group. As for the “National Idol” throne, whether we can win will depend on how much power we can each bring by following that rule of JUMP’s.

Think Note Vol #96: With

Myojo 04.2021

(I’m paraphrasing a bit more than usual this time. Please let me know if there are any errors.)

I want to discover things that I can do because I am alone 

The novel coronavirus has taken away the time and place where people may interact with each other. He thought about [what it means] to be a person living alone in this “with corona” era and the type of entertainment he could deliver as an idol.

---------

When 2020 became 2021, I was watching “Johnny’s Countdown 2020-2021” on TV. At midnight, we all sent [happy new year] messages to JUMP’s group chat at the same time and we went back and forth talking about what we saw on air, like “Why was the lighting so dark during our song?” and “That’s true. (laughs)”. Although it was lonely since we could not spend New Year’s Eve with [the others], our senpais and our kouhais on stage like we used to, I could still feel our bond despite being away from the members, so it was special.

During the New Year’s holiday, I mostly stayed at home and gamed alone. Since I spent so much time gaming, my game room has been enriched. I bought an ottoman online and 100 packages of snacks, so I spent my time gaming & grabbing a snack when I felt like it. Ya~ It was the ultimate entertainment. (Laughs) "When I buy my own home, in the place where you can only see the wall, I’ll build a game room behind it and [throw in] a small bar counter to make this game room the best entertainment centre!" I daydreamed about such things. (Laughs)

When I go walking, the things that do not leave my side are my phone, wallet, lip cream, eye drops, and lucky charm. Each year on New Year’s Day after Johnny’s countdown, everyone from the agency will go to for Hatsumōde* and I'll get a lucky charm from them. This year due to covid, the staff went to the temple for us to exchange the old one for a new one. The function I used the most on my phone is texting. I also read a lot of manga with it. I really like “Chiruran: Shinsengumi Requiem” that talks about the Shinsengumi; I’ve been reading this long before I got cast as Okita Souji in the movie adaptation of “Moeyo Ken”.  Of course, I also checked out JUMP’s original MV and making-of videos on Smash. Since it’s a vertical video, it is hard to imagine how things will look until I see the actual video. [When I watched] I will think about things like “I want to look like this, so I’ll have to be careful moving this way at this spot next time.” Once I installed the app, I can see it whenever I want. So convenient!**

* This is when the Japanese go visit the first temple of the year. 

** Product placement time! 😅

Right now, [the entertainment industry] has to coexist with novel coronavirus; i.e. it's a “With Corona” entertainment [era]. For dramas or movies, we have to wear face shields during rehearsals on set, so it could be a bit stressful. Also, when I think about those fans who look forward to meeting us, nothing hurts more than not being able to hold an in-person concert. Furthermore, I don’t update my blog on “Johnny’s Web” that often… I am aware of that. But other than what I said in interviews, I don’t have anything to write about. Although I could just write about random things, I don’t want to treat the blog similar to platforms like Twitter. So when I have something I want to tell you I’ll post right away, so please excuse the long wait. (Laughs)

Even in our normal life, I don’t think there are people who are happy with the current situation. That’s why I think in addition to take precautions against infection, it is important to take stock of your “With Corona” life. Find something that’s fun to do at home, find items that can let you fulfil your time at home. Although I am probably not the right person to say this… don’t go crazy with gaming to the point where it affects your daily rhythm. (Laughs)

“I’m looking forward to the live concert!" - Yamada~

Think Note Vol #95 Be Attracted

Myojo 03.2021

(I’m paraphrasing a bit more than usual this time. Please let me know if there are any errors.)

I'm attracted to people who cherishes staying the same*.

Since he wants to live honestly, he wishes to cherish things that capture his heart.  As expected, the moments that draw Yamada’s attention are the times he spends with people important to him.

* I don’t think this is quite what he means. Basically read the last paragraph about his best friend and you’ll get the drift.

---------

Yamada Ryosuke x Tanaka Kei (K2 promo 2)

More photos from the K2 promotion era. These are from TV ガイド and ザテレビジョン. I won't bother translating even though I actually liked their cross talks and relationship in general. And well, the show finished airing almost 3 months ago. 😅 Enjoy the pics.

Yamada Ryosuke x Tanaka Kei (K2 promo)

Promo pics from the K2 era. From 月刊ザテレビジョン. I'm not translating but basically they get along very well and have 6 things in common, including having the same watch. That's the gist. 😅

Think Note Vol #94 2020

Myojo 02.2021

(I’m paraphrasing a bit more than usual this time. Please let me know if there are any errors.)

I want to make the time where I cannot meet you [fulfilling].

In 2020, the novel coronavirus spread [uncontrollably] around the world and we plunged into an unprecedented crisis. He reflects on the year he spent focused on [the wish,] “I want to bring happiness to my fans” even in times when hope were far and few between*.

* Sounds a bit grim, but 2020 is what it is… 😅

Think Note Vol #93 Routine

Myojo 01.2021

(Please let me know if there are any errors.)

I want to always be my best self and not be bound by established routines.

He spares no effort when it comes to improving himself and meeting the expectations of those who support him. Taking a glimpse into Yamada’s daily life, [you will see] a number of strict* routines.

* Stoic - but the Japanese usage of that word is a little different from the normal English usage.

Yamada Ryosuke x Tanaka Kei (TVLife)

Promotion for K2. I am not translating the interview.

Think Note Vol #92 %

Myojo 12.2020

(Please let me know if there are any errors.)

My head is filled with [thoughts of] work, luxury mattress, and gourmet tour!

Work, private life, things he’s currently interested in… what % do they take up [in] Yamada Ryosuke’s [mind]? Body fat percentage, battery left on his smartphone, chance of precipitation etc, he’ll talk about various episodes related to % as well.

Kiokuya (The Memory Eraser) Review - With Spoilers

Since I read the book, sort of followed the filming progress, and read a bunch of interviews (that all sounded the same after a while), I should finish off by writing a review for the movie itself! 

Thanks to the pandemic, I was stuck at home watching Netflix for 7 months, so I’ve watched all sorts of movies & TV; sadly most are in the average to crappy category. To me, Kiokuya was probably in the average to slightly above average category. In other words, there are elements I like and there are things I feel the movie can improve on.

The review is a bit long since apparently I have a lot of thoughts about the script.😅 I pretty much summed up my thoughts in the “theme” section. If you are interested in the book / movie differences & things from the DVD visual commentary, I included those in the script & characters section. (Movie Walker included highlights from the visual commentary here.) . If you want to discuss the movie but don’t want to put spoilers on Twitter, leave me a message.

Theme:

The movie’s main theme is obviously about memory. If a memory is making your life miserable, or even stopping you from living, is it better to erase it? Or do all memories, even bad ones, shape you as a human? If someone’s memory of you is gone, are you killed in their minds? If you think someone is better off forgetting you, do you have the right to ask Kiokuya to erase their memories of you? Are the memories gone forever? If you have the power to erase someone’s memory, what are your responsibilities? And to some extent, what are the criteria to evaluate each request and what due diligence should you do before you accept this task? These were the questions the movie wanted you to ask. You know because the movie kept hitting you on the head through the dialogue! That’s probably my main complaint about the movie.

I didn’t study film so I don’t know the theories, but I think being heavy handed at telling you what you should be thinking is like listening to a textbook; it robs the audience of the chance to experience and internalize what they saw, and as a result, they are less able to connect emotionally to the film. That’s not to say people are not moved by the movie and empathize with the characters. I feel that it had more to do with the actors than the script though.

I think the cinematography was generally nice. I liked how they used the drone shots to film the beautiful Hiroshima scenery. The sunset scene was beautiful. The music did not seem intrusive. Other than that, I’m not sure I have more to say. (Fine. Yamada looked good in the plaid shirts and his hair was on point.)